You play lacrosse in high school. Everyone dreams of playing high D1 college lacrosse at Syracuse, Johns Hopkins, UVA, UNC, Hofstra, Princeton, Maryland, or other top schools.

Is it realistic? Sometimes. Usually not.

Per the National Collegiate Scouting Association (ncsa.org), there are 287 colleges offering Men’s Lacrosse and 356 colleges offering Women’s Lacrosse. That’s a lot of schools of varying “Divisions”, sizes, and qualities of programs. But it is a lot of schools so there is opportunity to play. You may not end up starting at UVA, but you can continue playing the sport you love after high school.

To get money and scholarships you need exposure. Participate in camps and programs. Get out there. Write letters. Get good grades. Network. Speak to your coach. Improve your skills.

Many of the Division III schools offer merit, academic, and need-base scholarships.

There is a lot of useful information on the web. A good place to start is ncsa.org.